Lunch and Learn — Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory with Rodney Kite-Powell

On the eve of the 200th-anniversary of the Territorial Legislative Act seeking a new capital for Florida, the Florida Historic Capitol Museum hosts historian and director of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center for “Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory.” Many of the events and themes that appeared on a large scale throughout the United States in the years leading up to the Civil War were also evident in Florida during its time as a US Territory, 1821 to 1845. Told through the use of historic maps, this presentation showcases how Florida was home to many important events and trends that preceded those in the American West after the Civil War.

Rodney Kite-Powell is the Director of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts from the University of South Florida, both in U.S. history. He wrote and lectured on state and local history and is the author of three books: History of Davis Islands: David P. Davis, and the Story of a Landmark Tampa Neighborhood and Tampa Bay’s Waterfront: Its History and Development.

The program and lunch are free and open to the public but seating is limited. This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Florida Historic Capitol Museum. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.